THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NY & NJ

Press Release Article

PORT AUTHORITY POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMENCES SECOND LARGEST ACADEMY CLASS IN DEPARTMENT HISTORY

Date: Aug 19, 2013Press Release Number: 84-2013

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey welcomed the 112th Police Academy class; the second largest class of recruits in the department’s 85-year history in an opening ceremony at the Port Authority Technical Center in New Jersey. The 209 probationary officers represent not only dozens of communities throughout New York and New Jersey, but also hail from Florida, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington. This is the first class to enter the academy under the Department’s newly structured leadership team led by Chief Security Officer (CSO) Joseph Dunne.

The recruits will begin a rigorous 26-week academy program with a course of study including New York and New Jersey law, police procedures, evidence collection and traditional police training, and additionally, each officer will receive specialized training in counter-terrorism, firefighting and first aid, including the use of defibrillators. This diverse group of 183 men and 26 women, including 18 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, will be the first Port Authority police recruits trained in the recognition and management of weapons of mass destruction and law enforcement response actions related to acts of terrorism.

“The 209 men and women each bring a wide array of skills and unique backgrounds to the department.,” said Port Authority Chief Security Officer Joe Dunne. “Upon completion of the academy they will enhance the agency’s critical role in protecting and securing some of our country’s most critical infrastructure and valuable assets.”

The nearly 1,600 members of the Port Authority Police Department are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all the agency’s land, sea, air and rail facilities, which are crucial to moving millions of people and tons of cargo every day. These assets include five airports, four bistate bridges and two tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the PATH rail system, the regional ports in New York and New Jersey and the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where construction crews are building the iconic One World Trade Center, which is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.